• Deck Title:                      The Green Codex Tarot
• Author:                            Alexander Kopytin
• Artist:                               Alexandra Dvornikova (IG: @allyouneediswall)
• Publisher:                       Lo Scarabeo
• Publication Date:         October 2025
• RRP:                                  US$37.95 / GB£36.00
• ISBN:                                9780738782249
• Reviewed by:   Cadence (IG: @temperanceandtruth)
  
  

It has taken me an uncharacteristically long time to write the review for The Green Codex Tarot because I am enjoying it so much, and it’s hard to know where to start. The tarot is designed with a system of “ecological culture codes.” The imagery is meant to encourage connection with nature with an eco-human approach, in which people are inseparable from nature. The deck was initially published in Russia through another publishing house.

It is obvious that the guidebook is written by an academic. Alexander Kopytin is a Psychiatrist, Psychotherapist, and Professor at the St. Petersburg Academy of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education. The guidebook encourages us to complement traditional approaches to our practice by tapping into our intuitive minds to involve our creative and analytical selves. There are several different techniques suggested to work with the deck as well as examples, spreads, and prompts to take a new approach with reading. One example is the SWOT method, which stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. The author notes that this type of analysis is used by organizations for operational assessment and strategic planning, but in using the cards for this type of analysis, we can perceive both the internal and external factors influencing our situation. Another suggested method is the Environment Interaction Reading, which encourages us to immerse ourselves in the natural world to attune to the environment, receiving answers to our questions in the process. The object is to “manifest empathy and ecological activity – care for plants, animals, and the ecosystem.”

The artwork in the deck is very attractive and soothing with a limited, earthy colour palette. The artist, Alexandra Dvornikova, is a St. Petersburg, Russia-based Artist and Art Therapist. The biography notes that she has an interest in archetypal psychology and a Jungian approach, and this is apparent in her art. There is a witchy feel to this folk-style artwork that works particularly well for the autumn season as well as for archetypal study. Each card is like a portal into dark forests and starry skies; the art is designed to help us connect with nature and remind us of humanity’s place in the natural ecosystem.

Let’s look at The Devil, one of my favorite cards in this deck. In this depiction, two figures, the Devil and Lilith, hold a mirror which is framed by snakes. The card itself is striking, with a mirror-like feature, a physical reminder for us to look within. The guidebook explains that the shape of the mirror depicts the idea of the Orphic egg (another way to refer to the Cosmic Egg or the Primordial Egg) as a, “universal mythopoetic symbol denoting the medium or source from which the world is born.” Lilith, Adam‘s first wife, is referred to as a “nocturnal, evil demoness-seductress who harms women in childbirth and their newborns.” A deeper study of Lilith and the Devil and their relation to The Devil card is provided. In the Suggestion section, included in each guidebook entry, the author conveys that the ability to, “accept one’s complex nature, the coexistence of light and darkness within it, and, at the same time, the ability for constructive activity, [is what] distinguishes a mature personality”. While these ideas may sound abstract—and certainly sometimes are abstract—reading the entire entry provides a greater understanding of the author’s concepts than I’m able to readily describe in this review.

In this deck, the Cups—usually my least favorite suit—are fantastic, with all of the images depicting alchemical-like vessels. Let’s look at the Three of Cups. The image shows a vessel with two large handles, clearly meant to emulate the female reproductive system. The vessel is adorned with a pomegranate, a symbol of, “fertility, life, and marriage”.  Every entry in the guidebook includes an initial more poetic introduction. For the Three of Cups, the entry states, “two energies uniting, the mystery of life realizes they are no longer two, but three, and it is always a challenge and a gift.… Are you ready to go beyond your limits and become something more than you were, to grow, to evolve, and to blaze new trails in your heart?”

Though it doesn’t explicitly state so in the guidebook, I feel that there is a strong numerological component to the card entries and the artwork. The deck readily combines elemental aspects, ecological connections, with an esoteric bent. And while there are some RWS references in the art, I have a hard time categorizing this deck as strictly RWS over the Tarot de Marseille or Thoth. It’s really its own unique combination, with the Courts as Page, Knight, Princess, and King as an example.

As for audience, I feel that this deck would be best suited for intermediate and advanced readers, primarily due to the heady guidebook. It may also be prudent to note here that a number of the images contain nudity.

Regarding the cards themselves, a beautiful pentacle and night sky forest scene is on the non-reversible backs. The cardstock is a matte satin finish and very easy to shuffle. The magnetic box is a beautiful forest green, and it is a fantastic midsize, similar to other recent decks produced by Llewellyn (the US distributor for Lo Scarabeo). A black ribbon allows you to easily remove the cards from a sturdy nest. The cards are not edged, but I’ve already edged mine in a gorgeous, matching metallic copper, and I encourage you to do the same if you like that sort of thing!

So, if you are seeking to expand your practice with a nature-based component, mindfulness, and a comprehensive guide book suitable for study, this deck may be for you.

To purchase this deck directly from the publisher, please visit the site HERE

Or visit any good online bookstores.